Other Sites

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Haste Makes Waste

When I got home from work earlier this week, I noticed a package frommy mom of important adoption-related paperwork. I tried to blitzthrough it but realized it was going to take more than a few minutes,so I reluctantly put it down and scooped up Jada to give her someattention.

But my mind was on all the paperwork, so our time, while pleasant, wasless relaxing than usual. Right before bedtime, she wanted me to readall the books on her bedroom floor, but I told her I only had time forfour. I gave her some milk, kissed her good night, and left the room,sprinting up the stairs to return to my paperwork.

But no sooner had I gotten into the thick of things there when Jadastarting crying, louder and then louder and then louder still. Itrudged down to her room, tried to calm her down, put a few more booksin her crib, and left, hoping that would do the trick.

It didn't. She kept crying, and I decided to get to the rest of thosebooks I had earlier chosen to not have time to read. We read each oneof them, but she couldn't get herself calmed down. Amy intervened anddid a little better, but after she'd left the room, Jada kept oncrying. We finally decided to let her cry on, and a few minuteslater, she was able to get herself calmed down, and eventually shefell asleep.

But the moral of the story for me is that when it comes to eveningtime with Jada, haste makes waste. She must have picked up on myanxiety over the adoption paperwork, and so just as I was stressed, sotoo she couldn't get herself wound down. So next time, regardless ofwhat's hanging over my head, I'm going to try really hard to just bepresent. After all, it might just be the fastest way to get back tobeing able to deal with whatever it is that's hanging over my head.